cooling off your chickens

[Jfreeman71]

cold pure coconut water is a good quick fix. It’s full of electrolytes and my girls love it.

 

[HomesteadDeb]

I froze some fruit in a pie pan as a cool treat, and I freeze water balloons and then peel the balloon off to make honking big ice cubes to put in their waterer. Melts slower than regular cube ice!

 

[Krazikatlady64]

Here in SC it is so humid and hot! 11:00 pm and 76 degrees 2 of the girls are still panting. I have used totes with ice in a little water and give them the Sav-a-chick elytrolyes once a week. I put all of them in the water, but only 2 go in regularly. The other don't. They are 12 weeks mixed breeds, bar rocks, rhode island reds, easter egger, Americauna, 2 light colors "blonde girls". No access to a run, but a big open coop with lots of shade and a roof. All HC walls. I'll try the fan tomorrow. They are miserable. I wish I could do more for them.

 

[Lysmyk]

I might be considered certifiable but I brought mine in tonight. It’s so hot outside and it’s 1am- still showing 85 (in MI) so you know it’s hotter in the little hen house. Granted I only have three (a BO and 2 Australorp) but when I peeked in at them and they’re open mouth breathing, I figured it’s time to bring ‘em in! I just hope my husband doesn’t wake early and try to take a shower tomorrow morning- he’ll be in for a surprise as they’re in our walk in shower... lol!

 

[Elfer]

As soon as my watermelons are ready!

My flock and I both love watermelon in the heat. I eat the good stuff and leave the rind "boats" around with a little pink left. Over 24 hrs. it will get pecked down to a paper thin green skin, which goes to "Uriah Heep", the compost bin, before chance of mold. Lots of good minerals in melon, as well as water.

 

[Elfer]

That tarp is probably trapping heat, and it's so close to ground. A tree provides layers of shade from higher up, but that's not an option. I once had a half-circle pen made of trampoline, so I had an arch. I covered it with two layers of sun shade cloth and no rain got through it. That would trap less heat than a tarp yet still provide shelter. IT can be fastened with butterfly clips specially made for sun shade and bird netting, or if it comes with grommetts it can be fastened with bungees.

A tarp in this heat would be about as comfortable as wearing a vinyl raincoat. You don't have to have trees for shade. Try creative tenting with old sheets to let air through over outdoor furniture, stomp in fence posts, beach umbrellas, old kiddie playhouses or swingsets, any kind of sizable junk you can drape over.

 

[Wormhunter]

I think my chicks are still too young to appreciate real food. they do not touch anything I try to offer them. They don't have a clue what to do with it all. I mean what chicken doesn't like lettuce, peas, berries, corn?

Mine don’t like those listed, also tried cabbage, cucumber and peeled apples with no success, hubby reckons I spoil them and if they want greens they can eat weeds!! How heartless!! I’m gonna try squash next some on BYC have success with that!

 

[Jaynet]

It's very hot in GA today, the only one that seems to mind it is my brown leghorn. They have a tarp cover pvc tractor wit the ends open in the direction of the wind. every hour i add ice to their water, I put a pan of shallow water with in it for her, I even made a berry smoothie. the leghorn just walked through the smoothie and no one is really taking advantage of anything but the water. I do not have shade and I think I need to get a fan. what fan setups do you all have? Is there a fan you really like and works well? I was maybe wanting one with a light too, and a clip for their coop. What set ups and what do you all do to get them to enjoy their treats> So far, I think my chickens are from another planet, they don't even like lettuce!

As far as fans go, get the kind they use in horse barns. They have sealed motors so they don’t get dirty and are s fee (dust in motors catch on fire). Plus you can jsut rinse off with hose. My birds will sit in front of the fan on a hot day (mainly the turkeys do this, more than the chickens). It sounds like they needs more shade too. My birds love hiding out under the rhubarb plants when it’s hot. Big giant leaves and they don’t eat it. Maybe consider oak f’ing something like that for them to hide in. One year a bird nested in there!
link to barn fan here:
https://www.rammfence.com/barn/horse-barn-ceiling-fans/18-inch-basket-fan

 

[Jaynet]

As far as fans go, get the kind they use in horse barns. They have sealed motors so they don’t get dirty and are s fee (dust in motors catch on fire). Plus you can jsut rinse off with hose. My birds will sit in front of the fan on a hot day (mainly the turkeys do this, more than the chickens). It sounds like they needs more shade too. My birds love hiding out under the rhubarb plants when it’s hot. Big giant leaves and they don’t eat it. Maybe consider oak f’ing something like that for them to hide in. One year a bird nested in there!
link to barn fan here:
https://www.rammfence.com/barn/horse-barn-ceiling-fans/18-inch-basket-fan

Man the autocorrect on my phone is going bonkers. Sorry about that. Hopefully you get the gist of it!

 

[BessiesFlyingCircus]

I almost lost my favorite roo at 7weeks to surprise heat in June. Weather man said 90 and I think it crept to 96 that day. my tiny Bandit heat stroked out on me.(I got this close to letting him go) I have this laser gun thermometer I should be using all the time it’s hot. my GRASSY areas in the sun were peaking at 107 by the time I checked. They had 12x12 area with tree cover which has since been expanded. The expansion has aluminet shade cloth 70% and I have that doubled over. I hose the lawn in their run, the privacy fence that faces them, the shade cloth, coop, them, which they hate, but immediately I get chickens that act like happy chickens for about an hour. Ice the water and keep them topped. Feeding very early and very late besides frozen watery snacks.